The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-03-03

Then / saw her. pale and beau
tiful. gazing down into my face with an
expression at once naughty and beseech-
ing, ready TO assume either look en-
tirely.
oazed silently at her. Certainly
she was very lovely. You are in my
my power" she said at last, Il love TO
have people in my power and" here
she looked curiously threatening-"I
love your
"Then let me 60. shall 60 mad i
/ am kept here while she ID in danger.
Forgive met for she looked panied.
and flushed deepr for moment. Il
am in your power in way. but ! did
not wish you to put yourself in mine. !
will forget all II you will set me free
.You shall 90 free,' she laughed.
quite changed again; ..but you won't find
her, If by her you mean my cousin; and
il you do, it won't be much satisfaction.
for Herr Plowitz will not approve Of gen.
tlemen. even blind ones, dangling round
his wife,
when shall l be freeP
Tomorrow morning"
You promise7"
II promise. There is no great reason
why | should consult your wishes, but
you shall 20 tomorrow.
And with that she turned and went
away, pale again and majestic ~
Grecian statue.
Tomorrow! felt that II it depended
on the Basilisk should never be free
again. I should never leave Hanover
Lodge alive. had read that in her
face, in her tones. when had disregard
ed her avowal Of passion.
Ispeedily set to work and liberated
my other arm, and speedily cast of the
bonds from my feet, and stood free, IS
| far as my limbs were concerned, upon
the floor Of the room.
To the window! 1t was high in the
wall, but easy enough to get up to, even
without the chair which. in my cramped
condition, had recourse to. By the
| titful light of the moon which showed
a iuncertain intervals . the clouds
| slowly travelled along the sky, ! could
see that was at height of about fifty
feet from the ground. Just round one
corner OF the tower l could see Q thick
growth Of ivy. but it was quite out Of
nv reach; and even II / could reach It,
could not dare to trust my weight to it,
running the risk Of tearing mass OF It,
from its uncertain hold on the wall. and
falling, stunned and helpless. . prey "a
nv enemies at its foot. There was no
time to be lost, however. The
cords with which I had been bound,
no use. They were OF nc
appreciate length for such distance
As I had to descend. The bedclothel
held ont . better hope. With the help
Of q small pocket-knife / managed with
much trouble to tear the bedding into
broad strips-ample for my purpose
and with feverish haste, yet very heed.
fully. As one who knew that not his owl
life only but the safety OF another
rested. perhaps. in every knot
l made long rope and fastened one
end Of it securely to the iron bedstead.
rugged at it, and tried it with might
and main. Every length stood the ut
most test could impose upon It
Then lowered it carefully out Of thu
window. There was no key in the in
side Of the door. but piled across !,
such articles of furniture as | could
move without making much noise; and
having constructed pretty substantia
barricadc, mounted the window-sill
and prepared to trust myself to thu
rope that had made. 1t is a simple mat
ter to read about. and had often taken it
in stories, as simple matter Of course
that escaping by means OF rope o
bedding was ns easy rs any other form
Of exit. But when with muscles
which had had no exercise for 4 Ions
period graspcd the homely ladder ant
glanced from the solid safety Of the darl
room to the whispering abyss below
which the himsy-looking rope pierced fol
some distance like ilickering light
l felt strange reluctance to commi
. myself to the work of my hands. Their,
was no time for hesitation, however
the thought Of Mary in the power o
Plowitz banished all my momentary
, fears, and with firm clasp of thu
blanket let my feet 60, seeking thu
\
, under weigh, it seemed safe and simpl,
!. enough. but Gro I had got two of M.
, own lengths down the rope. heard thu
. click Of the lock above, the jar of tn,
door sharply opened. and the crash o
the falling furniture. Speeding m.
| descent too much, miscalculated the
length Of the drop, and, letting 60 to-
soon, fell heavily q considerable dis
{ lance to the ground. As picked my
, .elf up, shaken and bruised. heart
from the window above me SINGULAR,
shrill whistle. and rs set off running
, rs hard as damaged foot would ALLOW
, me. there came distant answering note
which told me that the alarm was tnkcn
in the direction OF the Lodge,
fro BE CONTINUED.